patient

IELTS use

Fundamental term in reading passages about hospitals, doctors, and medical cases.

Examples

1. The patient was admitted to hospital for observation.
2. Doctors must listen carefully to their patients.
3. Each patient has a unique medical history.

Collocations

patient care

Nurses play a vital role in patient care.

elderly patient

Elderly patients often require additional support.

patient satisfaction

Surveys measure patient satisfaction with hospital services.

patient's condition

The patient's condition improved after surgery.

Word family

Noun

patient

Adjective

patient (as in 'patient care')

Adverb

patiently

Paraphrases

• person receiving treatment: More descriptive, less formal.
• individual under medical care: Formal, used in reports.
• case: Medical professionals may refer to 'a patient' as 'a case'.

Common mistakes

• The patience is in bed. to The patient is in bed.. 'Patience' is a different word meaning ability to wait; homophone error.
• Patients are everyone who goes to doctor. to Patients are people who receive medical treatment.. Be precise; 'everyone who goes to doctor' is too informal.
• The patient need surgery. to The patient needs surgery.. Subject-verb agreement: patient singular, so 'needs'.